Columbia River Mental Health Services is slowly regaining its footing after an abrupt suspension of services in late March, with two of its locations reopening.
The Vancouver-based nonprofit on Wednesday officially reopened its main location, 6926 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., where it is now offering adult outpatient, child and family outpatient, and adult psychiatry services. On Monday, the organization will reopen its Battle Ground clinic, 18 N.W. 20th Ave., which will provide adult, child and family outpatient care.
Columbia River Mental Health Services plans to resume mental health assessments at both sites by April 21. Medical records continue to be stored in a safe and secure manner for clients needing access to their records, according to its website.
“We did begin bringing most staff back on board yesterday and expect to be fully staffed by the end of next week,” Craig Pridemore, the agency’s interim CEO, said in an email Thursday.
The agency, Southwest Washington’s oldest behavioral health provider, serves 5,000 people each year, according to its website.
At least one community organization has stepped up to assist the nonprofit, which is facing an approximately $6 million budget deficit.
On April 3, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe announced that the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation allocated $1.6 million in emergency funding to support Columbia River Mental Health Services amid its ongoing financial challenges.
The grant enabled Columbia River Mental Health Services to maintain select behavioral health programs, including methadone distribution at its NorthStar Clinic, 7105 N.E. 40th St., Vancouver. The foundation said in a news release that the funding marks its largest single gift to date.
“The Cowlitz Indian Tribe has long held that strength is found in the well-being of our people and community,” Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairman William Iyall said in an April 3 news release. “Through the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation, we are honored to stand beside CRMHS, an organization that has dedicated itself to ensuring that vital support and healing remain accessible to all who need it. Through this gift, we’re not only investing in the health of our community, we’re honoring the spirit of generosity, responsibility and shared stewardship that have sustained the Cowlitz people for generations and will protect the future we hold in trust.”
The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation has given more than $30 million to nonprofits across the state since 2018.
In the fall, Columbia River Mental Health Services management became aware of its deteriorating financial state, due to a culmination of billing inefficiencies, a larger number of insurance claim denials and the gap between billing to payment doubling in length of time, Chief Operating Officer Kelly Ferguson previously said.
This led to the first round of layoffs, salary reductions and a closer look at operational expenses. Then, the Trump administration’s federal freezes cut the flow of funds for three to five days at the end of January.
Although the federal funding freeze was not the direct cause of the financial crisis, the nonprofit was unable to cover expenses during that time period.
